Letters to the Editor

Published: September 1, 2006

How to protect the primary
To the editor:
Mahatma Gandhi once said, “You may never know what results come of your action, but if you do nothing there will be no result.” Those are good words to live by. And there are things that each of us can do to protect our New Hampshire first-in-the-nation presidential primary for 2008 and for years to come.
Democracy is hard work. In past years, New Hampshire voters have set records with the largest turnouts in our elections in the nation. We need to continue to do that job. That participation will keep the candidates coming here, and that involvement will preserve our lead-off tradition.
All of us need to continue to do our part to encourage our favorite candidates to run here. Then we need to attend their events, ask tough questions, put up their signs, wear their campaign buttons, become educated about the issues, participate in the discussion about our future, and vote.
It is disappointing that the Democratic National Committee is trying to put a Nevada caucus before New Hampshire. Their action shows that the elite powerful Washington insiders want to gain more control over the presidential nominating process. New Hampshire has stood in their way for decades.
Even worse was the DNC adoption of new rules to refuse seating our delegates at the national convention if we follow our state law to move ahead of Nevada or Iowa in 2008. Punishing candidates and voters in that way would amaze and disappoint my 4th-grade teacher, who taught me much about American history. That is undemocratic in its very sense. Shame on them.
I have talked with New Hampshire Secretary of State Bill Gardner and urged him to set the our primary on the day after or the week before the Iowa caucus in order to ensure that our leadoff role will not be reduced. Under the laws I sponsored dating back to the mid-1970s, he has the authority and flexibility to do what is necessary to protect our tradition.
Gandhi also said, “Be the change that you want to see in the world.” Let’s do it. Let’s make the turnout in our 2008 presidential primary the biggest ever. Let’s set a new record.
State Rep. Jim Splaine
Portsmouth
‘Making Strides’ needs your help
To the editor:
Breast cancer — two of the scariest words an individual can ever hear in their lifetime. It was almost three years ago when I was given this diagnosis by my doctor, and I can attest to that overwhelming feeling. With a lot of support from family, friends and my medical team I was one of the lucky ones to survive this disease.
Two years ago I joined the American Cancer Society’s Making Strides Against Breast Cancer, an inspirational three-mile noncompetitive walk in our community, and across the country, to help raise awareness and funds to support the fight against breast cancer. Through my participation, I have met other breast cancer survivors in all stages of treatment, many of whom have gone on to live long and fulfilling lives.
Being a survivor and seeing other survivors gives me hope that one day we will defeat this disease. Every three minutes, a woman learns she has breast cancer. In fact, more than 212,000 American women will receive that terrifying news this year and nearly 41,000 will die from the disease.
On Sunday, Oct. 15, I plan to walk beside my friends, family and fellow survivors at the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk at Exeter Hospital. I urge everyone in the Seacoast area to join our community as we make strides toward a future where breast cancer is no longer a life-threatening disease.
For more information or to get involved, contact the American Cancer Society at 800-ACS-2345, or visit cancer.org/stridesonline.
Lynda Dionne
Hampton

This article appears in the September 1 2006 issue of New Hampshire Business Review